College Baseball Players Taken In The 2011 MLB Draft

The 2011 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft is underway. The first round was a good one for college players, with UCLA’s Gerrit Cole, Danny Hultzen of Virginia and UCLA’s Trevor Bauer going 1-2-3.

This marks the first time since 1978 in which one college baseball program has had two of the top three overall draft selections (Arizona State). That year, the Atlanta Braves selected third baseman Bob Horner first overall and the New York Mets drafted outfielder Hubie Brooks third.

College players comprised five of the first 10 picks in the ’11 draft. The rundown follows with select comments from MLB Network analysts Peter Gammons, Harold Reynolds and John Hart.

We will continue to add more drafted college players throughout the draft.

After helping UCLA to the College World Series Championship Series last year, Cole suffered his second losing season in three years in Westwood. The 6’4 right hander has a 21-20 record in his three seasons. He tied his season high with 11 strikeouts in 7 1/3 IP in UCLA’s L.A. Regional-opening 3-0 loss to San Francisco. Cole was a first round draft pick by the New York Yankees out of high school. He has a 98 mph fastball that you would expect from an overall #1 pick. he has a slider and change-up as well. Cole is the first player in UCLA history to be selected first overall in the MLB Draft.

Peter Gammons: “He is that horse.”

Harold Reynolds: “How can you pass up that arm?”…”You get a guy throwing 98 with that kind of movement…forget about it.”

2. Seattle Mariners

Danny Hultzen – LHP – Virginia

2011 Stats: (11-3), 1.57 ERA, 103 1/3 IP, 148 K, 17 BB, .189 Opp. BA

Hultzen has a 31-5 record on the mound in three seasons at Virginia. He was 9-1 with a 2.23 ERA while helping the Cavs reach the College World Series as a freshman in 2009. He also batted .327 with 37 RBIs that year. He has amassed 378 in 210 innings in his career. His 148 K this year are second nationally to only UCLA’s Trevor Bauer and his 203 K this season. He was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2008. He became the first Virginia pitcher to be named ACC Pitcher of the Year this season.

Bauer struckout 14 batters in what is likely to be his last collegiate start-a 3-1 Regional elimination game win over Fresno State. He logged his ninth straight complete game in the win, while setting the Pac-10 single-season strikeout record (203) in the process. Former USC pitcher Mark Prior (202) set the previous record in 2001. He also passed Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum, who fanned 199 batters for Washington in 2006. Bauer was 34-8 in his three seasons at UCLA, including a 9-3 mark in 2009. He would have still been a senior in high school that year had he not graduated early to start his college career. Bauer’s delivery is uncannily similar to Lincecum’s.

Harold Reynolds: “(Bauer was) previously not drafted, that’s what I’m thinking about.” “(Scouts) think he’s going to get to the Big Leagues quicker than all the other guys in the draft.”

John Hart: “Bottom line is, this kid can pitch, he’s a winner, he can strike you out. That go-to breaking ball is special.”

Rice head coach Ray Graham calls Rendon “the complete player”. He was the 2009 National Freshman College Player of the Year and the Dick Howser National Player of the Year last year when he hit 26 home runs. Rendon was bothered by a right shoulder injury and was primarily a designated hitter as a result this season. The 6’0, 190 lb. junior was a shortstop in high school. He was drafted on his 21st birthday.

Harold Reynolds: “He’s and athlete. You draft the athlete and you figure it out after that.”

Peter Gammons: “This guy is a really good hitter and he doesn’t necessarily need to hit home runs.”

10. San Diego Padres

Cory Spangenberg – IF – Indian River Community College

2010 Stats: .370 BA, 11 HR, 49 RBIs, .596 slg%, .414 OBP, 24 SB

Spangenberg was named a Freshman All-American and the Big South Conference Freshman of the Year in his only season at Virginia Military Institute in 2010. He was sixth in the nation among Division One Juco players with a .477 batting average this year. His .553 OBP ranked 10th nationally as well. Spangenberg is signed to attend Miami (FL) next year, so he could use that as signing leverage with the Padres.

John Hart: “What they drafted was possibly the best hitter in the draft. They drafted an athlete who can run…the only issue for him is where’s he gonna play.”

Like pretty much every college baseball player, Springer’s power numbers were down this year thanks to the new BBCOR bats. However, his numbers are only slightly down from 18 last year. The 6’3, 200 lb. junior was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 2008, but instead of signing he became the first player in UConn history to be named Big East Conference Rookie of the Year in 2009. His 46 career HR and 76 career SB have him in the same mold in the power/speed department as LSU’s Mahtook.

Peter Gammons: “His upside is huge. There aren’t many athletes like this who come around.”

John Hart: “This is a talented, talented young man. I think this guy has a chance to be something very special. The issue for me is going to be his ability to make adjustments to breaking balls and to be able to handle good fastballs inside.”

All Jungmann has done since starting his career at Texas is win. The 6’6, 220 lb. junior is 32-7 in three seasons wearing burnt orange. He has also racked-up 349 strikeouts in his career. Jungmann helped the Longhorns to a national runner-up finish at the 2009 College World Series. He finished third in the national with a .193 opponent batting average and finished fifth nationally with a 2.00 ERA that year. Jungmann’s only loss (to date) in 2011 came to Kent State in Texas’ NCAA Regional opener. He was the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year this year.

John Hart: “This is an advanced pitcher. This guy’s been a winner. He doesn’t have electric stuff.”